Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-03

Engrave their story on the living sky,
TO be forever read by every eye
Under the flag of the Union to-day floats
the flag of Democracy, and shall still float
for years to come, if We hold fast TO those
principles which kept life within us as a
party when scarcely a single state owned our
sway
WHY THE STATE Is NOT REAPPoRTIoNED.
For the past five years the Democracy has
carried the Empire state at each annual cleo
ton, our majorities varying from loo to
49,. 900 Cheers and long continued APP
plause) That, upon full and fair vote, with
no false OF misleading issues in the canvass,
New York is Democratic, must be conceded
by every intelligent political observer zap
piause.l Yet our opponents arc able TO keep
control of the legislature by refusing to make
reapportionment required by the constitu-
ton tApplause- They maintain their
power, not by superior political wisdom, not
because of better legislation, not by honor
able political methods, hut by shameless
disregard of sacred constitutional obi
cations. lApplausel For years this solemn
duty has been neglected and its performance
refused because they, as well as we, know
that a just and proper enumeration of the in
habi;ants, followed by fair and honest re-
apportioment of the senate and assembly dis
trictS Of the state, would give to our party
the control of the legislative branch of the
GOV a1-Tsvs, Ami Nov
wei as we the significance of the figures of
the last census of 1880 and what they por-
tend Those figures show in eleven Rcpubli-
can counties, taken together. an actual net
loss iii population and that in the great
Democratic counties of New York, Kings
and Albany there was an increase in popu-
lation ever double that of all the rest of the
tfty-seven counties OF the state put together
tApplause) They keenlY appreciate as well
as we what is indicated for the future by this
dwarfiGg. contracting and dwindiing of the
population in Republican localities. undoubt-
eddy caused by the miasma emitted from bad
views and principles, when contrasted with
the healthy increase and prosperity that
characterize the growth of Democratic coun-
ties, The efforts OF our opponents to retain
their power against the wishes of the people
by their undisguised violation OF the organic
law of the state furnishes an exhibition of
the tremendous desperation that character
lies the last struggle OF desperate party.
HOW REPUBLICANS HOLD SUPREMACY
81 oil IN - =,
do our honorable opponents maintain their
supremacy by questionable MEANS and by a
system Of rotten borough representation
more o1ious and unjust than that which ex-
isted in Great Britain years ago, and which
was destroyed by the passage of the Reform
act of 1882, after heroic struggle of sixteen
years. tApplausel In Connecticut the can
didate for governor who receives the great
est number of votes is not permitted to hold
the Office, but the legislature elects the gov
ernor unless such candidate has a majority
over all tApplaESe) To-day, if no such
urdemocratic and improper rule prevailed,
that state would have Democratic governor,
because last fall the greatest number of votes
was cast for the Democratic candidate. But
the Republican legislature. with cool effront-
cry, selected the minority Republican can
didate, who now fills that office.
But that is not the worst of it. The legis-
lature itself does not fairly represent the PEG
pie, but moHstrous system of representa-
ton prevails whereby certain small towns
casting few hundred votes have as much
representation in the legislature as cities
which cast thousands of votes. like Hartford
aud New Haven. There Is no pretense of
the existence of any equitable or fair method
of representation. Its injustice admits of
no explanation or excuse, and If it did not
Democratic legislature and two Democratic
senator's to honestly represent her in the
United States senate (Applause.l Sub
stantially the same injustice prevails in New
Hampshire. where the legislature under the
same circumstances elects governor usually
not the choice of the people nor the one for
whom the greatest number Of their votes are
cast In Rhode Island-rouclad and rock
ribbed Republican Rhode Island-their party
advantage is maintained by actually dis
franchising every foreign born citizen I'M
les be Is q freeholder. 1t is the only state
in the Union wherein a property quaIIfica-
tor Is required of its electors The Reuub-
Hcz.n control Of the next United States SEN
ate /, maintained 10y the vote Of the two
senators from the state Of Nevada. state
which Is actually decreasing in population,
and which can only muster, according to the
last enumeration, 5000 inhabitants, which
Is les than the population OF each of nine
teen counties of this state, and less than that
contained IN every Assem- bly, district IN this
city.
HOYoR, DECENCY AND FAIR PLAY VIOLATED.
These are startling figures, but they are in
keeping with the present app0rtionment i'll
this state. wherein some Democratic sena-
Iorial and assembly districts contain almost
twice as much population as Republican dis
tricts All sense of honor, decency and fair
play Is violated in the maintenance of politi-
cal power 10y such methods An elector in
~ Ia it7iaAC VI <AAitShuif tuiiitN 1utulb
count as much as an elector in New York OF
Brooklyn. and no more. tApplause There
sEould be absolute equality IN man" so far
as basis for representation is concerned.
There Is apparent a necessity for change in
orr system of popular representation every
where. In the language of that memorable
platform Of 1916. reform is necessary" to
protect and preserve the rights of majorities
from misconduct, frauds and crimes Of min
critics intrenched in power We have not
forgot the crime of 1s76-thoots and long
continued applausei-when the Democratic
candidate for the presidency, although he
had concededly received q majority of the
popular vote of the country, was defrauded
OF his office by the crimes of Republican re
turning boards in three states of the Union
iApplause) By means OF fraudulent count
ing, forged certificates and falsified returns,
backed by wicked use of power on the part
Of the general government, the electoral
votes OF three states were deliberately and